Many types of crab traps are in use today. Such devices are commonly called crab pots in the industry. A particularly effective type of crab pot is that shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,075,779 to Olafson. This crab pot uses a box structure to form the body of the pot. Crabs are led to bait which is suspended in the center of the trap through two angled tunnels. One inside the trap, the crabs are unable to climb back through the tunnel entrance. When the crab pot is returned to the deck of the ship, a side door is opened and the trap can then be dumped. The design of this pot, however, permits juvenile and smaller female crabs to migrate to the top of the pot, where they hide from the larger males. These crabs become attached to the netting and become stuck in the upper tunnel or wedge portion of the pot. On deck, a mate must crawl into the trap, as part of the rebaiting process, and pull these crab out of the trap. Often, crabs are injured in this process, many so severely that they later die. Even if these crabs are removed without injury, it is a time consuming process.
The present invention overcomes this problem by eliminating any surfaces for these crab to attach to. The invention consists of a plastic or fiberglass wing that is shaped to match the top of the tunnel entrance in the pot. The wedge is secured to the pot using plastic zip ties, commonly used to bundle electrical wires. Once in place, the slick plastic surface does not afford any place for the crabs to grab. Even if they are able to remain in the upper portion of the pot, they will be quickly shaken out when the pot is dumped. The device has a number of slots cut horizontally in it to permit water to pass, thereby easing its movement through the water.